High Noon
by Qym
Summary: Western AU Emma Swan barely knew the kid riding behind her and didn't plan on sticking around his town. Yet she found herself sucked into the small town, and its problems rapidly became her own. Swan Queen.
1. Chapter 1

******Note: **This is probably exceptionally weird, which is what I like to write best. I saw a prompt on Tumblr that just wouldn't leave my head alone and thus here we are. I hope y'all enjoy. Let me know if this is actually interesting to read. Also, cowboys.

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One

The pistol at her side was already loaded and ready. She reached down, grabbed the hem of her jacket, and tucked it up into a pocket. Her fingers twitched at her hip. The man in front of her might try to run, she thought. He certainly had the look about him – he was a small man with dark features and pinprick black eyes that continued to shoot furtive glances at the door.

"Tell me where your friends are."

"Ain't got no friends."

"Oh, my mistake." She took a step towards him and watched him flinch backwards as if it had been a slap and not a footfall. "But, see, the problem is that the people back in Boston – well, they think you're friends. Real good friends."

"It's a mistake." He agreed. His eyes shifted towards the door once more.

She adjusted her wide-brimmed hat. "This can go one of two ways. You can stand there and tell me what I want to know, and nobody needs to get hurt. Or you can see which one of us is faster."

He transferred his gaze from her face to her holster. "They went west."

"Just left you here, did they?"

"Yes."

"Where are they headed, exactly?"

"To the western-most settlements." He ducked his head, ashamed of his tattling. "And then beyond. As far as it takes to shake the law. Maybe north."

She strode to his side and gripped his shoulders with as much force as she could muster. His head wobbled but he provided no resistance as she pulled him towards the door and out to the sheriff. One bandit out of four only garnered one fourth of the reward money. She'd tracked them halfway across the known continent, only to get stymied by one idiot left behind. But she planned on collecting the rest.

x-x-x

The midday sun was unrelenting. He wished that he had perhaps thought to leave earlier in the morning, or later at night when the heat was less intense. His mouth had dried completely and when his tongue darted out to wet his lips, it merely stuck to his skin. If only, he thought miserably, he hadn't ditched his pack a few miles back. He could almost taste the water from his canteen.

"She should be here." He whispered. The few ragged bushes around him provided no cover from the sun and the only shade to be had was cast directly beneath his feet. "She can't let anyone die."

When he tripped over a rock in his path, he found that he was too weak to stand back up again. His arms quavered as he tried to drag himself along, but ultimately he let them flop to the ground. Eyes closing, he decided it wouldn't be that awful to allow for a short nap.

x-x-x

When it came down to it, Emma Swan was not a very happy person. She wasn't happy with the people she worked with. She wasn't happy with Boston, or the surrounding towns she was forced to visit. She wasn't happy with the conmen she rounded up. Just about the only thing she was happy with was her horse. He never questioned her decisions, or attempted to order her around. So as she started her journey westward to catch the three remaining criminals, she did so with a profound sense of peace.

With her hat to keep the sun off her face, it was almost relaxing. Her long blonde hair was knotted loosely under its brim – up off her neck to allow the slight breeze to cool her down. The day was too warm for her usual garb, so she made due with a loose fitting button-up with the sleeves rolled to the elbow. It was once white, but the sun and dirt and lack of regular washing had dulled it. Suspender straps crossed over her back and latched loosely to her trousers. Her red leather jacket was tossed over the horn of her saddle.

The clopping of her mount's hooves kept her mind from wandering too far from the task at hand, that and the sound of her supplies clacking together. Given her druthers, she would never prefer thinking about her life and the choices she had made. That required far too much introspection which, she found, generally only led to not being happy with herself, which was just a bit more unhappy than she wanted to be. It was best to keep her mind in the present. She had a job to do and money to earn.

Her eyes focused suddenly on a lump on the ground a few hundred yards away. It was too far away for her to know what it was, so she nudged her horse forward and altered her course. When she was close enough, she patted her horse's neck as she slipped down to the ground and nudged the lump with the tip of her boot. The lump groaned and shifted. Squatting down, she confirmed that the lump was indeed both alive and a child.

"Kid, what are you doing out here?"

"Help, please." He gasped. "Water."

She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out her canteen. He appeared too weak to help himself, so she unscrewed the lid and eased the liquid into his mouth. She poured it slowly so that not a single drop spilled to the dry ground.

"Thank you."

She pushed the brim of her hat up with her index finger and cocked an eyebrow at him. "So now you want to tell me what you're doing out here?"

"I was looking for someone." He wiped his head tiredly against his mouth.

"Did you find him?" Emma chuckled. "Doesn't seem very smart. Where you from?"

"Storybrooke."

She shook her head. "Can't say I've ever heard of any town with that name."

"It's a small town." His eyes narrowed as he finally took in her appearance. "What's your name?"

"Emma. Yours?" Her usual bristly attitude didn't apply to children. Children were too young to be malicious.

"Henry Mills. Emma, do you know who your parents are?"

"Where's Storybrooke?"

He recognized that she was dodging his question and sighed. "It's several miles west of here."

"I'm taking you home, kid."

Maybe, he thought, she was the one he was looking for. If she entered the town line, and stayed, it would be true. So he nodded and struggled to his feet. She put her foot in one stirrup and kicked her leg over. Reaching down, she grabbed his arm and helped him up behind her. He quickly wrapped his tiny arms around her waist. Although mildly irritated at the intrusion, Emma said nothing.

x-x-x

"Emma, why were you out here?"

She glanced back at her charge and shrugged. "Business."

As they rode, thoughts came together in his mind. It was no coincidence that she found him – it couldn't be. There were hundreds of miles of wide open spaces and she had stumbled upon the tiny patch of land he occupied. It was fate, or better yet, destiny.

"I think you were meant to find me."

"Sure, kid."

"Storybrooke is cursed." He confided.

She searched the horizon for the town of which he spoke. The sooner they arrived, the sooner she could resume her search, and the less she would have to listen to his imaginations. He looked to be around ten years old – too old for such childish nonsense. Yet it wasn't her place to say something. She wasn't his mother.

"How much farther?"

"Not far. You have to believe me. You have to break the curse."

Finally the roofs of buildings crested and Emma heaved a sigh of relief. The boy slouched against her. She twisted briefly to look at his dejected face. "Kid, I gotta say – none of what you're saying makes a lick of sense."

"Why won't you believe me?"

"There's no such thing as curses." She leaned to the side and spat. "Otherwise, with all the enemies I've made, I doubt I'd be alive."

"But that's just it! If you are who I think you are, then it's because of the curse that you are. Magic is real."

This was nonsense. She fell silent, even as he begged her to believe him, and trotted down Storybrooke's main street. As they entered, she could feel dozens of eyes watching them, though only a few people were bold enough to stare from the street.

"Where do you live?"

"I'm not telling you until you listen to me."

She made eye contact with a pretty woman leaning on a railing outside of what could only be the local saloon. The woman winked at her and she smirked back.

"Where's this kid belong?" She called over.

"He's the mayor's." The woman responded. "And that's the only free answer you'll get from me. But – if you come back later…"

"I'll keep that in mind." Emma chuckled.

"Just ask for Ruby."

The woman disappeared back inside and all at once the staring stopped. The men tending their horses nearby resumed their work. Emma let her horse trot further into town, judging how close she was to Henry's house by how agitated he became.

"Just stop for a moment and listen!"

She pulled her horse to a halt in front of the most regal looking house she had ever seen outside of the confines of city living. Though the land was dry and hostile, somehow this house had a leafy apple tree flourishing in its yard.

"Your parents are probably worried sick."

"My mom's not worried." He argued. "She's evil."

"How bad can she be, kid?"

"Bad."

She examined his face and noticed a small bruise near his temple. Perhaps she would stick around, just to do a little digging. There was probably nothing to the Henry's fantasies, but after her own childhood, Emma was unwilling to ignore a child's plea for help. Emma gave him a gentle push and eased him to the ground before sliding out of the saddle herself. She looped her reins over a fence post and grabbed Henry's arm just as he made a last ditch attempt at running away. She'd dealt with so many flighty individuals in her lifetime that this was simply second nature to her.

The front door to the house erupted open and two figures darted outside. The taller of the two was a rugged man who smiled at her. He hovered a foot or so behind the woman with him. This other, a dark haired woman dressed in immaculately pressed black trousers and a silken blouse, glared. For a moment nothing was said to Emma as the woman hugged Henry to her chest and admonished him for running away.

Emma cleared her throat. "I take it you're the boy's mother and father?"

"Who are you and what were you doing with my son?" The woman stood and all at once Emma felt the full heat of the woman's anger. Though the woman was about her size, certainly no bigger, the woman had the ability to feel larger and imposing. Emma was envious of this, as it certainly would only have assisted her in the past.

"I found him about five miles from here, collapsed and dehydrated. I gave him water and brought him back."

"And still you refuse to tell us who you are."

"She's Emma." Henry supplied. "And she's telling the truth."

"Go inside." The woman commanded. "Graham, you may go. Thank you for your assistance."

The rugged man nodded curtly and walked away, leaving the two women to stare at each other. Emma had been evaluated before, dissected with piercing looks, but none quite as potent as the one she was currently receiving. She shifted her weight and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, you've got it from here." Emma nodded. "Is there somewhere in this town to spend the night?"

The power of the woman's look diminished, though her dark eyes remained on Emma's face. "You're staying?"

"I was tracking bandits before this little detour. They're probably far from here now, so I might as well get a good night's rest on a real bed."

"I suppose telling you is the least I can do for the woman who rescued my son."

"Perhaps you'll also answer me one other question: Who are you?"

"Mayor Mills."

"Got a first name?"

"I don't know. Do you have a last?"

"Swan." Emma smirked.

"Regina."

"Regina." Emma repeated. The name was quite befitting the snide look that adorned the other woman's face. The look was haughty and arrogant, as if it were specifically designed to make Emma feel lower than a tick on a dog's belly. "Join me for a drink down at the saloon, Madam Mayor?"

Regina's nose crinkled at the distasteful thought. "No, but I will invite you inside for one if you insist."

Emma trailed after the regal woman, unsure as of yet what to make of Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke.

x-x-x

"Emma!"

Henry latched onto her waist as soon as she stepped inside the house. She allowed the contact for a moment as she tried to gauge Regina's reaction. The curl of Regina's lips was the only display of displeasure that the other woman allowed on her face. Gently, Emma pushed the kid away from her and held Regina's gaze with her own.

"Kid."

"Henry, go to your room. Ms. Swan and I need to talk."

Henry glared at his mother, but scurried down the hallway. Emma wondered what could prompt such hostile behavior between a mother and son. As soon as he was gone, Regina guided Emma to a sitting room and promptly poured the blonde a drink.

"Homemade cider."

Emma accepted the tumbler. "I saw the tree out front. It's remarkable that it's still green."

"I've been caring for it since I was but a girl."

"Henry's an interesting kid."

"Oh?" Regina had her back to Emma, so Emma missed the pained look that crossed the brunette's face.

"I'm surprised you let a boy as grown as him believe in magic."

"Magic?"

"He thinks the town is cursed." Emma sipped the liquid and was pleased with the burn that cascaded down her throat. "And that you're evil. Why would he think that, Madam Mayor?"

The accusation in Emma's voice rankled Regina, but she gave the blonde a terse smile. "He has always been prone to flights of fancy, Ms. Swan. I do my best as his mother to let him have what's left of his childhood."

The statement felt loaded to Emma. "And what of his father?"

Emma noted the slight tremor that ran through Regina's hand. It was but a momentary lapse in the woman's finely constructed façade, but it was enough to let Emma know she'd touched upon a sore subject.

"He is no longer with us."

"How old is he now? Henry, I mean."

"Ten." Regina poured her own glass of cider with hands that were once more steady and stood with her arms folded. "He has a few years left of his childhood."

"I noticed he has a bruise."

"He's a clumsy boy."

"Does he get bruises often?"

"Not anymore."

Emma wasn't sure what to make of that. She had a few drops left in her glass, which meant she only had a few more minutes to get information without being rude. Under other circumstances, she wouldn't mind being rude to get what she wanted, but something told her that Regina would not take kindly to such methods.

"It's unusual to see a female mayor."

"Perhaps." Regina eyed Emma's nearly empty glace. "You will find lodging at the saloon. Ask for Granny Lucas. I'm sure she can spare you a room for the night, even if you do not purchase… companionship."

"I was considering staying a little longer than a night." Until that point, Emma had not had such a plan, but there was something odd about this town. She didn't owe Henry anything, but she felt obligated to make sure he was fine. "I'm worried about Henry."

"Are you a cowgirl or a knight, Ms. Swan?"

"Cowboy."

"Cow…person." Regina amended. "You've known him for a matter of hours. What do you care about a little boy like him?"

"Nothing."

"So you'll leave in the morning." Regina made sure Emma had finished her drink before taking the tumbler back and pushing Emma towards the door. "Just head down the street. The saloon is hard to miss."

Emma tilted her head and nudged her hat, the only semblance of manners Emma was willing to show the mayor. She untied her horse and, with a meaningful look back at Regina, walked down the road. A small puff of dust billowed up behind her. A single leaf on the apple tree shriveled, snapped, and drifted away on a breeze.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Thank you all for the responses of last chapter! The curse here in this universe is slightly different... alternate, if you will. Thanks for taking the time to read!

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Two

"What will you have?"

Emma leaned down on the bar and smiled at the barkeep. He was a slight man who was balding on top, but maintained auburn puffs of hair around his temple. The smile he gave back to her was genuine.

"Local brew is fine." She removed her hat and tugged her money clip from inside it.

"Staying long?"

"I don't know yet. If I was to stay, do you know of anyone around town that needs help? A ranch needing a hand, anything like that?"

"Oh, don't ask him." The woman from earlier slid around Emma's side. "Archie doesn't know much of anything. All he's good for is listening to the problems of the local drunks while they cry over spilt beer."

"You're Ruby."

"You remembered." Ruby smiled and traced her finger along Emma's arm.

"Sure." Emma slid a bill to Archie. "Thanks for the drink."

He settled his eyes momentarily on Ruby, words clearly on his lips. After a moment, he shook his head and redacted his unspoken commentary. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

Emma allowed Ruby to tug her to a small table near the back of the saloon and let her eyes graze over the other people scattered throughout the room. An elderly woman in a fancy blue dress lingered near a staircase, fanning herself and minding the space. A group of seven men huddled around the craps table, jostling for the best position to watch the rolling dice. The only other patron was a queer man who smiled widely at her when they passed his table.

The man stood and, with the aid of his cane, limped towards the swinging doors. The cane was useful, he mused as he walked slowly down the street. It was an effective prop, allowing others to view him as doddering, as needing sympathy, as being as far from dangerous as a man could get. In a world without magic, he found it to be the perfect defense. This camouflage worked better than a cloak with the hood up.

When the leaf drifted near him, he reached up and daintily plucked it from the air. His lips peeled open in a smile, this one more sinister than the one he'd given Emma. He continued his journey, making sure to keep the leaf safely in his grasp. It pleased him to find Regina standing on her porch, her eyes fixated on the saloon down the way.

"Good evening, Madam Mayor."

Her attention wavered and she blinked, as if being drawn out of a dream. "Good evening, Dr. Gold."

"There's an odd wind blowing through town tonight."

Her eyes narrowed. "And what, dare I ask, is that supposed to mean?"

He opened his fingers to display his catch to her. When the breath caught in her throat, he crushed the leaf into dust and let the pieces drift to the ground. She walked to his side, trying to maintain a calm mien.

"What are you doing?"

He raised his brows at her, feigning ignorance. "Was there something special about that leaf, Regina?"

"You know perfectly well what that leaf was."

"Not in the mood for games, I see." He tapped his cane against the ground and nodded. "I best be off."

"What does it mean?"

"Hm?"

"The leaf. I assume it fell off my tree."

"It means the clock is ticking, dearie, and you'd best hurry up."

Regina remained composed as Gold continued on his way, but her heart was hammering against her ribcage. Her eyes flickered to her tree, trying to determine how many leaves were left – and how long that left her.

x-x-x

"So do you think anyone around here needs the help?"

Ruby leaned back in her chair. Once Emma had – politely – refused her company for the evening, she had relaxed. "I think the Nolan ranch lost a worker just yesterday. Poor man got his hand crushed under a wagon. You could go ask around there."

"I suppose I will." Emma knocked back the rest of her drink. "So what's the deal with this town?"

"The deal?"

"What happened to the old mayor?" And, Emma wondered, why does the mayor's son think his mother is evil?

"You mean Regina's husband." Ruby shrugged. "Got bitten by a rattler snake. Nobody knows how it got into his house, but they found him dead one morning, with the puncture wounds and the live animal curled up under the bed. They had a hell of a time getting it out."

"Where was Regina?"

"Sleeping soundly next to him." Ruby tittered. "You don't think she did it, do you?"

Emma tugged absently on her suspenders. It was a possibility, but she wasn't looking to start trouble. "She just took over running this town after that?"

"We voted on it, and everyone agreed she was in the best position to be our mayor."

"So she's well liked."

"Very much so. And everybody adores little Henry." Ruby's eyes quirked, as if she was searching for something on the tip of her tongue. The look vanished when she finished speaking.

Emma tilted her head, curious, but decided to leave it for another time. "Well, I'd like to get settled. Any chance there's a room available, just for the night?"

"Talk to Granny." Ruby pointed to the regal older woman by the stairs. Emma thanked her and stood.

"You're still here." The batwing doors swung open and chatter in the saloon ceased for just a moment.

Emma paused midstride and glanced at the new arrival – the man from earlier. She noticed now that he had a gleaming golden star pinned on his chest. She nodded in response to his question. As a man of the law, he didn't pose a threat to her.

"I am."

"I'm a bit surprised the mayor didn't personally escort you out of town."

"Tell you the truth, I am too." Emma couldn't help but smile. She'd run into Regina's sort before – the sort that knew she was beautiful and powerful, and had no qualms abusing those advantages. She enjoyed going toe-to-toe with them, pushing back when she could, and she had a feeling that in Regina's case, her reaction would be no different.

"Are you staying long?"

"Maybe."

"Then I may have a proposition for you. It's been a while since I've had a deputy. The last got shot months back and I could use the help."

Emma settled her hands on her gun belt. "And how do you know I'm deputy material?"

"Well, for one, you stood up to the mayor." He bowed his head to her bravery. "Not many men in this town could do that. Mostly, though, I don't. But that gun on your hip looks well taken care of."

"I'm a fair shot." She allowed. "Would you like a demonstration?"

"Wouldn't be opposed."

She swaggered to the bar and asked Archie for a shot glass, the smallest he had. Though he looked confused, he procured the item and slid it into her waiting hand. Without further ado, she tossed it over her shoulder and drew her pistol. In one motion, she turned around, aimed, and fired. By the time the glass shattered, her pistol was back in its holster and she was waiting for the sheriff's approval.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced." He took his hat off and extended his hand. "My name is Sheriff Graham Humbert, and you must be Deputy…"

"Emma Swan."

"First order of business – I expect you're looking for a room for the night."

"That's right."

"There's an apartment on top of the sheriff's office. Nothing fancy, mind you, but it has the basic amenities." He scratched his scalp before resettling his hat. "You're more than welcome to stay there as long as you like."

"Is there a place for my horse?"

"We have a small barn just out back."

Even as she shook his hand, Emma felt a wave of hesitation ebbing at the shore of her mind. She was used to wandering and heading in whatever direction felt right – to following a star and hunting down outlaws. To take a job, however impermanent, in a small town like this…

"We should celebrate." He cut through her thoughts. "Have a beer on me?"

Those were thoughts for another time, she decided. She could use her new position to gather information and make sure Henry was in no danger. Once she was content, or once she had taken the appropriate measures, she would pack up and leave. Nothing ultimately had to change.

x-x-x

"Miss Blanchard?" Henry tugged on the woman's sleeve until she turned her round face down to look at him.

"Yes, Henry?"

"I need a favor."

Her lips turned up at the edges and she leant down to his level. "What can I do for you, Mr. Mills?"

"There's a new woman here." He raised his eyebrows as he lowered his voice. "I need to talk to her. Can you invite her here," he gestured to the one room school house, "after school?"

She laughed. "Afraid your mom will see?"

He nodded. "Please, Miss Blanchard."

"I suppose I could go see her over the lunch break." She hesitated. "If it's really that important to you…?"

"It is." He hugged her legs and ran off, leaving her to wonder if her actions will once again land her on the mayor's blacklist.

x-x-x

Emma took her time examining the sheriff's office. Graham had gone out to assist a local rancher with a broken fence, which truly spoke volumes about the amount of crime this town saw, and had insisted she make herself at home.

She spent the most time examining the wanted posters pinned to a board behind the sheriff's desk. They were years old and seemed more like a decoration than an actual listing. One of the papers actually crumbled under her probing fingers. Crime truly was slow, which made Emma wonder why Graham was so insistent on hiring her as a deputy.

"Excuse me? Are you Miss Swan?"

Emma dusted her fingers off onto her chaps and turned to greet her visitor. "Deputy Swan now, as it were."

"Oh, my apologies." Mary-Margaret marveled at the woman before her. She had rarely seen a woman wearing the garb of men, other than the mayor – but the mayor was an exception in most matters, clothing included. "I'm Mary-Margaret. I'm the school teacher here."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"I know this might be an odd request, but would you join me at the end of the school day?" She had such a hopeful face that Emma nodded without really knowing why. "The schoolhouse is just across the way from the mayor's home."

"I'll be there."

"I suppose I should return. Who knows what fifteen children could be getting up to without my supervision…"

Emma cocked her head and watched the other woman leave. She felt a strange affinity for Mary-Margaret, though she couldn't fathom why. Perhaps, she thought, Mary-Margaret was just a friendly soul who befriended everyone, and garnered the hate of none. Emma had to admit that she envied such people, as her own personality had been known to rub many the wrong way.

A grunt drew her attention to the barred area along the back wall. The man sleeping on the threadbare cot sat up slowly, clutching his head. Emma leaned against the desk and waited for the man to come more fully to his senses.

"Lemme out now. It's okay." He pawed at his eyes and tried to stand. His legs, however, gave up midway through the action and he fell back down. His second attempt was much more successful and he managed to stagger to the bars. "Pretty lady, lemme go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." She folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not drunk no more." He hiccupped.

"I don't have the keys, and even if I did, you're still drunk."

"That's not why he's in there." Graham pushed the door to the station open. He had a healthy coat of dirt on his hands and a ruddy stain from the sun on his cheeks. "We're holding Mr. Smee here because he's been linked to a series of petty robberies."

"I tol' you, ain't me." Smee attempted to clutch his head. "Gimme my hat back?"

Graham opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a floppy red scrap. He tossed it to the inebriated man, who pulled it clumsily over his ears.

"Willie, if you just talk to us, I'm sure we can work something out."

Smee hiccupped again and swayed. Emma was sure he was going to topple over again, but he steadied his weight against the bars of the cell and reached towards her.

"I can't tell you nothing." Despite his attitude, his words were losing their slur. "They'll know it's me."

"Who's they?" Emma asked.

Graham rubbed the back of his neck. "They are the Lost Boys. Young guys, most of 'em, all from around here. Started causing trouble a few years ago, but it's starting to escalate. We can't ignore it anymore. I'm thinking there's someone at the top, who's organizing them now. Won't be long until they do something that can't be fixed."

Emma's hand dropped subconsciously to her pistol. "That's why you hired me."

"I didn't want to face six boys with just one of me, no."

"Eight." Smee corrected, before slamming a hand over his lips. "I ain't talking."

"Eight." Graham corrected. "You still onboard?"

Emma shrugged. "Doesn't matter much to me how many there are. I'm a bounty hunter – taking groups of men down is kind of what I do."

"We can't kill 'em."

"That makes it a challenge."

"Please keep it in mind. We don't want bloodshed here in Storybrooke."

"I will." Emma turned her eyes from Smee's slouching form to Graham's face. "What do you know about the mayor?"

"She's great." His voice was monotone. "Runs the town perfectly, and we've never had a bit of trouble with her."

"Her kid told me she was hard to live with."

Graham shrugged. "Probably is. She's a bit rough around the edges, but she gets things done."

"Would you think she'd ever hurt anybody?"

"Maybe." His eyes fluttered and she wanted to ask what he was remembering or thinking about, but he spoke again. "She'll do whatever needs to be done in order to keep this town safe."

Emma resumed her examination of the wanted posters on the wall, if only so that Graham couldn't read the suspicion on her face. She could hear him moving about the station, shuffling papers, and clearing his throat. Though she couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was, Emma was sure something was going in this town.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **It's quite interesting to lay out a curse all my own. But troublesome as well - how much detail do you pack into one chapter? Do you sprinkle hints like jimmies? -Or inundate it like hot fudge on a sundae? Thank you for all the reviews I've received thus far - and future thanks to all the future reviews.

* * *

Three

As Emma made her way down the dusty street, she found herself greeting person after person. It seemed that having a badge strapped to her hip made folks around Storybrooke a good deal more welcoming. If she hadn't been so set on this being a temporary arrangement, she might have relished in the attention.

As it were, though, the people appeared to her as desperate and simpering. She would help them as long as it was her job to do so, but she would not necessarily like them. Even if she did, she wouldn't know how – Emma had grown up alone, lived alone, and knew that in all likelihoods she would die alone. She had no problem with this.

"What's this about?" She strode through the schoolyard and into the small red building.

Mary-Margaret was sweeping the floor and glanced up at Emma's entrance. "Oh, Deputy Swan, you made it."

"I have to talk to you."

Emma hadn't seen Henry at one of the desks with his head bowed, but it didn't surprise her to hear his voice. "So I surmised, kid."

"I wasn't kidding before, about this town being cursed."

"There's no such thing as curses."

"Will you please just listen to me?"

Emma cast a pleading look towards Mary-Margaret. The brunette smiled apologetically but refused to intervene. Whatever Henry needed to say, she felt, should be said – regardless of how fantastical the content.

"I've got ten minutes."

Henry reached into a bag that was slouching next to his desk and pulled out a leather book, embossed with gold lettering. She reluctantly went to his side and crouched to get a better look. He allowed her a moment to flip through the pages before starting his explanation.

"That's my book. It's got the truth in it."

"These are fairytales. None of this actually happened."

"Mary-Margaret is Snow White."

Emma caught Mary-Margaret's gaze and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you now?"

Mary shrugged. "According to Henry, I wouldn't know until the curse broke."

"And you believe him?"

"What's the harm?"

Emma rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Henry. "So who am I?"

"You're Emma." He gave her a look that clearly stated that his faith in her intelligence had just careened off a cliff. "You're Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter."

"Kid, my parents abandoned me in the desert when I was born. I'm just lucky that I was found by people who took pity on the whining whelp I was and didn't just leave me to die. Whoever made me, they sure weren't fairytale people."

"They didn't have a choice."

Emma pulled a chair out from another desk and sat down. "Alright. Let me have it. Tell me everything."

Believing that Emma was finally taking him seriously, Henry's face brightened. He opened the book as well as his mouth.

x-x-x

"Rumplestiltskin, I have need of your services."

Through the darkness of his cell, Rumplestiltskin's smile practically glowed, his sharpened crooked teeth glinting in the firelight from Snow White's torch. He slunk to the pikes separating him from her and tilted his head.

"What can I do for you, Princess?"

It made her skin crawl to ask him for a favor, but she felt trapped. There was no other person that could help her.

"I need you to get me with child."

His grin widened and the slim slits that were his pupils fluctuated. "Is your Prince not all that you hoped for and more?"

"His father…" Snow trailed off, the memory still fresh and painfully new. "I have been poisoned. I will never bear my own children."

"So you need little old me to do what exactly?"

"Find me a child. You know I can afford your services."

"Slow down." He commanded. For a moment the air between them rippled. "You may have nothing that interests me. How do you know I can even do as you ask?"

"I can free you."

"Who says I'm not here of my own free will?"

"What else could I offer?" The despair in her voice was enough to draw him in.

He frowned, pretending to think. "I suppose you have nothing right now – but you will in the future, if I do this for you."

"What?"

"At some point in the future, I will come to you and I will ask you to do something, and you will do it."

"What will it be?"

"Uh-uh-uh." He ticked his finger at her. "That is for me to know."

"I will not sign my name to an open ended contract."

"It will save your child."

x-x-x

By the time Henry had finished reading the chapter, Mary-Margaret had stowed her broom and was standing behind him. The story resonated within her, but it didn't make sense.

"So he just got her a child."

Henry glanced back at her. "Yes, he got you one."

"Kid, I'm not her daughter."

"That's almost true." Henry flipped a few pages. "Rumplestiltskin went to a peasant woman in a neighboring kingdom, a woman who was pregnant but had no husband. She didn't want to be pregnant and knew she couldn't keep her baby. He gave her money and in return she gave him her unborn child. That child he put into Snow White, and she gave birth to a baby – that's you."

"It's a pretty good story, kid, I'll give you that…"

"That's not the end." He chided. Emma's mouth clicked shut; she was entirely unused to a child commanding her attention. "Just after you were born, Rumplestiltskin appeared to Snow White and told her that she needed to put you in a magical tree, which would send you away. The evil queen, my mom, was planning on cursing everybody – Rumplestiltskin included."

"So why save me? Why not himself?"

Henry shrugged. "Because you're the savior, Emma. You're going to save everyone."

x-x-x

From just beyond the door, Regina clenched her hands into tight fists. Her knowledge of the curse, it seemed, was fuller of holes than she realized. When Henry had not shown up at town hall after school, she had set out to find him – and she had found more than she bargained for. She trudged away from the door, taking care so as not to be seen, and strode onwards.

It was frustrating to burst into Dr. Gold's office only to find the man leaning against his desk waiting for her.

"You lied to me."

"Tsk." He clucked his tongue against his teeth and grinned. "I do not lie, dearie."

"You gave my son that book, didn't you?"

"When someone comes to me with an ailment, I merely provide them with what they seek." Dr. Gold shrugged his shoulders. "Your boy didn't need medicine."

"Is what's written in that book true?"

"What is this about, Regina? I gave your darling son a book – if this is reason for anger, you should consider lynching that school teacher you hate so much."

"Cut the chatter, Rumple."

His eyes widened slightly at the name, but otherwise his demeanor did not betray his reaction. "Fine, fine. What is it you're after, Madam Mayor?"

"Is this Emma Swan really some sort of savior?"

"That is why she was born, yes."

"Why did you have her sent away?"

"A curse like this is no good without a threat. There's no fun to be had in a massacre, is there? The challenge makes it all so much... headier."

"But what else is there to do? I have my spoils." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at the slight man. "I got what I wanted years ago."

"Not quite, dearie." Gold stood and walked behind his desk, all traces of his limp gone. "What was it again you asked me for?"

Regina's brow furrowed. "I asked you for happiness."

"Not quite, dearie." He repeated. "You asked me for true happiness."

"Either way, I have it now. And this Swan woman is going to destroy it?"

"Tell me, Regina – what is happiness?"

The question took her aback. "If one was to believe the simpering fools of this town, happiness is love. And they all love me here."

"So what, do you suppose, true happiness is?"

The parallel made her nose wrinkle. "True love is for fools."

"But it is exactly what you've enacted this curse in order to get."

She walked to his side, her cool exterior a well executed façade to cover the fury she felt. "This isn't what I asked for."

"Isn't it?" He shrugged. "Perhaps our memories are both a tad, shall we say, faulty. In any case, you have until the last leaf falls from that tree of yours to get what you're after. Need I remind you of what happens if you fail?"

Her lip drew back in an elegant snarl. "I will not return to that damn forest just to rot in that damn dungeon."

"Then may I suggest you start wooing a twue love." He gestured to his door. "Please, feel free to stop by if something ails you."

x-x-x

The row of bottles balanced precariously on the fence. Emma stood ten yards away, her hand hovering over her six gun. It was common practice for her to clear her mind is this fashion – hiding away with some bullets and some bottles, although she normally was responsible for emptying them before she shot them. These bottles she'd gotten from Archie.

"Kid's gotta be crazy." She muttered and took a calming breath. It did no good to shoot with a crowded mind. When she felt at peace, she reached down, and fired off six shots in quick succession without stopping to properly aim. Six of her bottles shattered.

"Ms. Swan."

Thankfully the voice interrupted her practice after all six shots had been fired. Emma's hand clenched over her gun as she turned to what she was assuming would be just another annoyance in her day.

"Madam Mayor."

"You're still here."

"I am." Emma opened the chamber of her weapon, inspecting it so that she wouldn't have to look at Henry's mother. Truly, the woman had let her son fill his head with nonsense, which was no way to raise a boy.

"Has Graham been welcoming?"

The question caught Emma off guard, but she merely snapped the chamber shut and sighed. "He has, thanks for asking."

"Look, Ms. Swan, I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Deputy."

"What?"

"Deputy Swan."

Emma reveled in the way Regina ground her teeth and spat out, "Deputy Swan. You brought my son home to me, and I should more properly show my gratitude."

"No need for that. If you really want to be thankful, do it somewhere else." Emma twirled her gun around her finger. "I'm a bit busy right now."

Regina cast a doubtful eye on the shattered bottles. "Will they run away if you don't shoot them, Deputy?"

Emma scowled. "Are you accustomed to inanimate objects moving?"

"Of course not."

"Then tell me – where is Henry getting all his strange ideas? Better yet, where is he getting all his bruises?"

The two women stared each other down. Emma nearly smiled – it had been too long since anyone had the nerve to maintain eye contact with her, to meet her blow for blow. Regina fought the urge to challenge Emma and merely cast her gaze aside after several moments. If she was going to outplay Rumplestiltskin at his own little game, she'd need to get the so-called savior on her side.

"He's a hemophiliac, so he bruises easily and bleeds more so. As for his notions… I'm afraid that I am not responsible for those."

Emma's glare softened. She slid the gun back into its holster and nudged her hat with her fingertips. A slight breeze tickled the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Has he told you, then, about his theories?"

Regina shook her head. "My dear, I'm the evil queen. He would never deign to tell me anything."

The statement elicited a chuckle from Emma. "Has he told you who I am?"

"He hasn't, but I've figured it out." Regina stepped closer to Emma, feeling more secure now that Emma's pistol was tucked out of immediate reach. "It seems we have been doomed to battle one another. Yet… would you instead indulge me in that drink you offered before?"

"A change in heart, hm?" Emma turned her face to the sun and squinted into the distance. Although she wanted to spit into the dirt, she resisted. It didn't seem quite proper in front of the mayor. "Perhaps in a bit."

"Oh yes." Regina placed a delicate hand over Emma's holster. "The run away bottles."

Emma caught Regina's wrist, unwilling to have anyone near her weapon but herself, and found the bare skin smooth and tantalizing. She pushed the offending limb away and nodded her head curtly.

"But perhaps later tonight."

As Regina sashayed away, Emma focused on the remaining bottles. She refused to watch Regina's hips sway, or her hair flip gently in the breeze.

x-x-x

Robin kicked his legs up onto the table and watched with pleasure as caked on dirt crumbled off. No one dared tell him to do anything different. If he wanted to sully a surface with his grime, he was going to.

"This is a nice place."

"It is." Gold leaned against the wall. "I thought it quite suitable for your needs."

A giggling blonde girl kissed Robin's cheek and tumbled into his lap. He ran his hands over her curves and grinned at Gold. "And you're sure nobody is going to bother us here?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Robin ran a hand through his hair. Try as it may, dirt couldn't completely hide the vibrancy of his red hair, no matter how many mud puddles he pushed his head into. When he made eye contact with the doctor, he realized just how similar his hair was to the other man. There was something off about Gold, no matter how much he tried to divert attention.

"Sure."

"Then there is nothing more to discuss."

"Uh-huh."

Though the younger man's tone irked him, Gold smoothed out his shirt and redirected his attention. "I take you and your men have been doing as I requested?"

"Measly distractions –feh." Robin jumped to his feet. "We could be doing so much more."

"So much more will land you in jail or the grave."

"That's what you think." Robin jumped atop the table, knocking his companion to the floor, and tucked his hands into his armpits. Waving his makeshift wings, he crowed loudly. "I can make them fear me – fear us! They will hear our calls and hide!"

"You're ferocious, Robbie."

He smirked down at the blonde woman and puffed out his chest. "You've got that right, Julia."

She shot a careful glance towards Gold before helping Robin off the table. With her mouth near Robin's ear, she murmured to him how little she trusted the other man, but he merely patted her shoulder and swaggered over to Gold.

"Let us do our worst, Gold. We won't disappoint you."

"So desperate to prove yourself?"

"We're not your errand boys."

"Very well. Let me think on it and I will send word with what comes next."

Robin watched Gold limp away and frowned. Despite Julia's best attempts, she couldn't kiss the expression away and soon he shoved her gently from his side.

"Round up the boys."

"But didn't he tell us to wait?"

"I'm not waiting on him anymore." Julia hesitated, so Robin gestured to the door. "We have a new deputy in town. It would be impolite to not introduce ourselves."


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: **And so this tumbles along - like tumbleweed! Just be aware that I ignore canon whenever I feel like it, and I feel like it often. After all, what's the fun in an alternate universe if you can't make up your own rules and history? As always, I appreciate any/all reviews I receive. I will say one thing - Robin isn't Robin Hood simply because I hadn't thought about it when I renamed Peter Pan. But that is a fun idea.

* * *

Four

The atmosphere of the saloon when Emma entered was much different than the evening before. People sat huddled quietly around tables near the walls, while one group of men hogged the bar and hollered loudly at each other. Her entrance went unnoticed until she approached them, intent on catching Archie's attention.

"A beer, Archie." She tipped her head at the flustered man. His face was pale as he moved to fill her request. She noticed how his eyes darted towards one particular man, the one she assumed was the leader of the raucous men. "Thanks."

He slid the drink across to her. "Not a problem, Ms. Swan."

"Deputy." She corrected. Archie ducked his head.

"Oy, did you say deputy?" The nearest man twisted to look at her. "Can't be. Sheriff would never hire a pretty flower like you, darlin."

She rolled her eyes and reached for her hat. Archie cleared his throat.

"Not now, Deputy."

He couldn't have told her more clearly not to flash her money in front of that lot. She tipped her head again in his direction and took her beer. As she walked towards an empty table, a shout drew her attention back to the bar.

"So we finally meet." The man Archie seemed so afraid of peeled away from the group. "Pleasure's all yours, I'm sure."

She eyed the man. He was younger than she expected, perhaps seventeen, but he carried himself with arrogance beyond his years.

"Can I help you with something?"

He shook his head, a lazy grin overtaking his face. "I suppose you won't just leave town on your own."

"You couldn't be foolish enough to be starting trouble right now." Emma warned, her hand hovering at her hip.

"I'm Robin and these here are my Lost Boys." Robin gestured to the pack of men behind him. All alcohol had been forgotten and all eyes were fixed on her. "Take care to remember that, and maybe we won't have no trouble with you."

She set her drink down and casually took a seat. Every action she took was done with the intent of making them think she wasn't intimidated by them. To be honest, she wasn't intimidated as she had enough bullets in her pistol to take care of Robin and his motley crew.

Robin stalked closer and invaded her personal space. When they were nose to nose, he jabbed her shoulder with his finger. "Don't think you make the rules around here, blondie."

She maintained eye contact. "Go back to your friends, boy."

He crowed loudly and suddenly, but she didn't flinch. His sporadic behavior was supposed to convince her that he was a loose cannon, that he acted wildly and without forethought. But she understood it as a ploy to rattle her and nothing more.

"Come on, boys." Robin hollered. One by one they filed past Emma, a few growling and the last spitting on the floor at Emma's feet. A splatter of spittle hit her boot.

As soon as they were gone, Archie brought a rag to her side and leaned to the floor. He scrubbed the spit up and gingerly wiped Emma's boot clean.

"Why don't you arrest them?" He whispered, slightly paranoid that they might actually be able to hear him.

"They haven't done anything illegal."

"Yet." Archie sighed. "Don't get me wrong, Deputy. I'm all for giving men second chances, and finding solutions that rehabilitate – but these men, they are no good."

"I know. I'd agree with you but for the star on my hip." She sipped her drink. "The law can't punish men for nothing."

"Just be careful."

Emma was glad to be alone a moment later when Archie returned to his post. She wanted just a moment to consider this town and its people without either bothering her.

"Deputy?"

"What now?" Emma's head quirked up.

Regina looked at the open chair as if it were covered in razor blades instead of a small amount of dirt. Despite her open distaste, the regal woman sat down and folded her hands in her lap. Nothing in the world could make her put her hands on the tabletop.

"I am joining you for a drink."

"Great." Emma tried to bite back on her sarcastic response. "What'll you have?"

Regina examined the beer in front of Emma and disregarded it. "I suppose this establishment serves nothing but beer?"

"I never thought to ask."

"Then perhaps you can drink for both of us."

"Why are you here, then?"

"You asked for my company."

Though this wasn't quite what Emma had said, or even wanted, she merely shrugged. She cleared her throat and rubbed her hands, unsure of what to say to the other woman. As far as she could tell, they had nothing in common.

"Well, thank you, I guess."

"You are quite a sharp shot."

"Thanks."

Regina sat primly, though she was squirming internally. Emma didn't make things easy. "Is there anything you would like to know about this town?"

Emma couldn't hold back the suspicion that flooded her expression. "Just like that, you're going to tell me everything you know?"

"Contrary to what Henry may try to convince you, I don't have to be your enemy, Ms. Swan."

The disregard of her title both frustrated Emma and sent a quiver of some indefinable emotion through her stomach. "That's good. I think I have enough of those here already."

"I see you've met Robin and his little gang." Regina rolled her eyes. It would not be the first time she wished her curse hadn't extended into Neverland, and it would not be the last. "Incorrigible pests."

"Archie thinks they're more dangerous than that."

"I merely know where they are in the hierarchy of my town. Believe me when I say they do not have as much sway as they may believe."

"I'd like to believe that, but Graham is…"

"Graham should be more secure in his authority." Regina snapped. "I did not come here to quibble about what should not be a problem for two officers of the law."

Emma clunked her empty mug down and stared steadfastly at her conversation partner. "Then why are you here?"

Backpedalling quickly, Regina tilted her head and smiled. "Would you like to know more about Henry?"

At Emma's gruff consent, Regina spoke carefully of the circumstances surrounding his birth – the miracle child that he was. Emma garnered that Regina thought it impossible for her to be pregnant in the first place, though the stoic woman offered no direct evidence. Instead Regina hurried on to the complications of Henry's first few years, of how every nick and scratch was cause for alarm.

"It is a royal disease." Regina confided, her eyes flickering with both pride and what Emma determined was anxiety. "As such, I've endeavored to treat Henry as my little prince."

That's not the story he told, Emma noted silently with her eyes still measuring the emotions on Regina's face. "Any idea why he thinks so poorly of you?"

"I may be… over attentive." Regina replied evenly. "He wishes I were his friend, but I need to be his mother. I do not accede to his wishes, and thus I am evil in his eyes. But I cannot give in to his demands simply because he makes them."

"Sure."

"I can tell you are still skeptical, but what I can say? You will believe what you wish, and nothing more. But I do have a favor to ask you."

Emma pushed the mug out of the way so she could lean forward onto the table. "What sort of favor?"

"Keep an eye on Henry. I know that as his mother, I hear very little of what he's thinking and see only glimpses of what he's doing. Make sure he's safe." Regina reached across the table, cringing slightly as her sleeve brushed the surface, and took Emma's hand. "Please."

The honesty of the plea drove some of Emma's suspicion away. "I can do that."

"Tell me if he's planning on doing something drastic again, like wandering away into the desert."

"I won't tell you everything." Emma shifted uncomfortably. "But if it's something major, I suppose I can't keep it from you."

"Thank you, Deputy. I've always had a rather intimate relationship with the sheriff's department... Do not betray my trust" Regina stood, her hand still firmly on Emma's. It squeezed before it released and fell to Regina's side. "And one more thing, Deputy."

"What's that?"

Regina let her gaze drop slowly down Emma's body, enjoying the flush that crept up Emma's neck at the scrutiny. Her eyes lingered on Emma's hips. "Teach me how to shoot."

"What?"

"I wish to learn to shoot. You will teach me."

"That's messy business. A lady of your position…"

"Should know how to protect herself. You will meet me tomorrow with your runaway bottles."

Emma couldn't help but watch the domineering woman walk away. She was fairly sure that most other eyes in the saloon were also fixated on Regina, so she didn't feel as self-conscious about it. Regina definitely made it impossible to say no, she thought as she stood.

x-x-x

"You will give me a curse, Rumplestiltskin."

The odd man took a cursory skip around her; she waited patiently through it with her arms crossed and a derisive sneer on her lips. At his queer giggle she felt a nearly overwhelming urge to blast him with fire.

"What sort of curse are you looking for, dearie?" He slunk up beside her and twisted away playfully. "Don't tell me – let me guess."

She waited while he evaluated her, from her sharply pointed black heels, to the high cut of the slit in her black dress, to the immaculately pinned tendrils of hair swirling around her ears. Finally he nodded.

"My first guess would have been revenge. Punishment for all the bad, bad people that made sure you hurt." He shook his head. "But no, dearie, I don't think that's what you're after at all. What you want is happiness."

And just like that he had shot through her defensive layers of sarcasm and dry wit. Her face fell as her mouth launched into a prepared explanation. "They've tried everything to keep me miserable. That ungrateful brat had my beloved killed. And what does she get? Her own little Prince Charming. My mother married me off to the highest bidder. And what does she get? She's got a ladyship now at the royal court."

"Please." Rumplestiltskin leapt into the air and crossed his legs. She watched with strategically concealed amazement. "Continue."

"Snow's blasted husband made sure I would never have children."

"To be fair," Rumple countered, "you gave King George that potion to sterilize Snow. Fair's fair, yes?"

Regina practically snarled. "And yet Snow is pregnant now."

Feigning ignorance, Rumplestiltskin floated in a neat circle around Regina. "The miracle of life."

"They have robbed me of every opportunity to be happy." Regina's voice broke off and she tried to collect herself. "If I just had a chance… then perhaps I could finally have what I most desire."

"You wish for a curse, then, that will allow you to find true happiness?"

"Yes."

"Without the squalling of the so-called do-gooders of this world?"

Those do-gooders, Regina thought, would never see her as anything but a stark enemy, someone to be hated and cast out. They would never see that Snow should be culpable, never bother to ask for her side of the story. Regina was a force of darkness, incompatible with the lightness provided by Snow White. Even the king, her husband, had turned against her. This world was too decided, too set in its ways.

"I want a new world."

"I can do that. But, you must know there are certain restrictions."

"I thought that might be the case."

"Every soul alive at the time you cast it will be taken with us." Rumple's feet touched down and he leered at her. "So take care to kill anyone who shouldn't come with."

"That's it?"

"My other requirement is that we stay out of each other's ways. We will each remember our time here, as the creator and the caster of the curse, but nobody else will. With that in mind, you will respect my business as I respect yours."

Regina nodded. These were acceptable terms. "I accept."

Rumplestiltskin drew a roll of parchment out of the air and handed it to her. "Use the heart of the one you most hate."

And suddenly Rumple's early comment made more sense. There was, after all, one person she didn't desire around in her new world, one person who was the original object of her hatred.

"I suppose, after all these years, mother had to be good for something."

x-x-x

Emma positioned the bottles and frowned. Giving shooting lessons was not her idea of a splendid afternoon, but Graham had insisted. Of course, she thought, Graham would be kowtowing to Regina's wishes. She turned to watch Regina approach, with Henry trotting at her side.

"Why'd you bring the kid?"

Henry folded his arms and frowned. "I'm making sure she doesn't shoot you."

Regina stared stolidly at the bottles so that neither of Emma nor Henry could see the telltale twitch of her eye at his comment. "I asked him here so that perhaps you two can talk while I practice."

"I have to teach you the basics before you'll be doing any practice." Emma corrected. "Have you ever handled a weapon before?"

The wording made Regina smile, but she shook her head. "I haven't fired a gun, if that's what you're asking."

Emma pulled her pistol out and set it in Regina's hand. Though it irked her to let someone else touch her weapon, this was a controlled environment. "Feel the weight of it."

"Henry, please sit behind us." Regina commanded, wrapping her fingers around the gun. "I feel it."

Henry took a seat in the dust and watched the pair of women carefully. His mother was up to something and he was going to figure out what. Emma tugged her arm down at the elbow, corrected her posture – and Regina simply took each criticism with a smile and an adjustment. This behavior, it confused Henry. Shouldn't the Evil Queen be more evil, he wondered, and more pushy?

"Relax." Emma pulled once again on Regina's elbow. "You're holding it like you think it's going to bite you. It's not a rattlesnake."

"I see someone told you what happened to my late husband." Regina commented dryly.

"Keep a loose posture."

"It would help me if you would position me." Regina coaxed. Emma pulled uselessly on her limbs again. "Show me how you would hold it."

Reluctantly Emma wrapped herself around Regina, positioning her arms so they were shadows of the brunette's. "Now can you see?"

"Quite clearly." Regina purred.

Emma leapt back just in case the other woman was able to feel the pounding of her heart. "Use the nick at the top of the gun, the sight, to aim at a bottle. When you feel ready, shoot."

Regina kept her arms loose, her posture relaxed, and aimed at the largest bottle in the row. When her finger pressed the trigger, the dirt a few feet before the bottle exploded in a puff of dust. Emma adjusted her arms and whispered a hint about watching her breathing. The next shot she took was closer still.

"You're doing well." Emma commented. She had to admit she was surprised. The Mayor wasn't the fastest learner, but she was making tall strides. "Don't feel too frustrated if you don't hit one today."

"Go." Regina gritted her teeth. "Talk to my son."

Sensing that Regina was not one to quit or fail to meet her own expectations, Emma nodded. "Just be careful. That's a dangerous weapon, Madam Mayor."

"Thank you for your valuable insight, Deputy Swan." Regina responded, her frustration with her inability to hit a bottle surfacing.

"Try to keep that under wraps." Emma commented before joining Henry. "Clear your mind and try to relax."

"You trust her with your gun?" Henry whispered. "What if she shoots us?"

"She's not going to shoot us." Emma responded, settling down to the ground beside him. She was sure that Regina would enact no harm against Henry. A part of her was also certain that Regina wouldn't harm her either, but she wasn't sure why she was so confident in that regard. Perhaps, she thought, it was the feeling of her body pressed against Regina's that was playing tricks with her judgment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: **It's been too long. My apologies. But the show has just been so awful and depressing, I was having a hard time convincing myself that I still care. Thank you to everyone who's sticking around. I do promise this will be finished.

* * *

Five

It was to frantic shouting that Emma awoke. She opened her eyes, sat up, and promptly coughed into a thick plume of smoke. A line of expletives ran through her head as she struggled to pull on a pair of trousers, buttoning them with one hand and scrambling for yesterday's shirt with the other. She slung her gun around her hip on rote memory. Half-dressed, she crouched low, under the smoke, and reached for the doorknob to her living quarters. It burned hot under her hand.

She turned away, wheezing, and went for her window. She yanked the frame up and ducked her head out into fresh air. Her lungs loosened. The ground was a storey down, and covered in people running to and fro with water buckets sloshing. Almost instantly a voice cried out, letting her know she'd been spotted.

Unwilling to simply sit and wait for rescue, Emma crawled halfway out the window, reached up to the roof, and clung along the eave. Hoping her arms would hold out long enough, she began scooting along the edge, just trying to get away from the scorching heat of her bedroom.

"Emma!"

She glanced down to the ground and wished immediately that she hadn't. Her fingers tensed. Graham stood beneath her, a ring of volunteers scattered before him. A taut blanket was spread between them.

"Swing out and drop!"

"I can do this." Emma muttered to herself. She'd been in stickier situations. Muscling in her acute fear into a small corner of her mind, to be dealt with later, she braced her feet on the building and kicked hard so that her body swung out into the open. At the peak of her arc, she forced her fingers to let go.

The plummet was breathtaking. She tried to keep her body relaxed, to lessen the impact, and hoped that the people below actually caught her. For a moment as she landed, she wasn't sure that they had, but then she felt her body being lowered slowly and a hand gripping her shoulder.

"Emma."

She wanted to reach up and hold her head with both hands. Her lungs were burning and her eyes stung painfully whether they were open or closed. A wave of nausea rippled through her and she leaned to the side to empty her stomach. There was a loud groan, and people dodged her bile. Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, she took stock of things – her body ached, and it felt like she'd bruised a rib or two as she landed. But she was alive, and there was work to do.

"Willie." She croaked. "He's in the cell."

"Not anymore." Graham helped her to stand until she shook him away. "Seems like whoever started this broke him out first and then used this as a distraction."

"It's not a distraction." She hated how her voice was quivering, but there was little she could do about that. "It's a message."

"The Lost Boys."

"Emma?"

She turned to find Henry barreling towards her, his mother following slowly behind. Regina looked incredibly put out that her son had dragged her into the streets in the middle of the night. The loose robe Regina wore rustled with every step and the brunette tugged her robe closer to her body as the pair approached. A dark frown marred her features.

"Hey, kid."

"Make yourself decent." Regina snipped.

Emma glanced down her body and noted that her pants had come undone. The only thing keeping them up was her gun belt. Her shirt had two buttons, but they were pitifully in the wrong holes. She frowned back at the mayor, but did as she was told.

"My apologies for being burned out of my room before I could properly dress to meet your standards, Madam Mayor."

"Thank you." Regina arched her head in a polite acceptance, as if the apology had been earnest. "Sheriff, why aren't you attempting to catch the perpetrators?"

Graham took his hat off and fiddled with it. "We know who did it, ma'am, but not where their hang out is. Chasing after them will do nothing but waste our time."

"You're going to let them get away with attempted murder of your new deputy?"

Emma quirked her eyebrows. Was that a tinge of fear in the mayor's tone? What, Emma wondered, was that fear for? "We can track them down later. Right now I'd rather we safely put this fire out."

"We can't yet. The fire hasn't yet reached the ammunitions. We're trying to douse it, but I won't send anyone in yet, in case the bullets cook."

With her legs finally solid beneath her, Emma felt more like she had casually walked down the stairs and less like she'd jumped from a roof. She maneuvered Henry towards Regina, and away from the flames.

"Go home, kid. Your mom needs her sleep. Who else is going to run the town, huh?"

He shook his head and motioned her closer. She leaned down to his level. "What if she's the one behind this? She needs to get rid of you so you don't break the curse."

"We know who did it, kid, and it wasn't her." Emma ruffled his hair. "And as you can see, I'm no worse for wear and I'm not running out of town yet."

"Yet." Henry grimaced.

"Leave Ms. Swan alone." Regina cut in. "She's been through a good deal this evening and will be more than willing to answer your questions tomorrow, I'm sure."

"It's fine." Emma responded. "But you really should head on home."

Reluctantly, Henry took a few steps towards his mother. But a flash of enthusiasm struck his face. "Mom, can Emma stay with us?"

"That's unnecessary."

Regina examined the still burning building. "Your plan of going into a burnt out building to sleep at night is questionable at best, Deputy. No, you will stay in our guest room until further accommodations can be arranged."

"I…"

"This is not open to discussion. I will wait up for you. Come along, Henry."

Regina pulled her son along. He was more willing now that he knew Emma would be visiting later, and she could for a moment pretend he was still the small child who clung to her legs when he was learning to walk. His trust had been so easily earned and, apparently, so easily discarded.

Had his lack of trust extended to everyone, she could have understood. She, too, trusted no one – but it stung that he stolidly, blindly, trusted every other soul. As she ushered him into their home, she glanced back at the street and made eye contact with Dr. Gold, who loitered across the street. He smiled at her and waved; she shut the door.

x-x-x

Emma stared at the destroyed building. The first lights of dawn lit the desolate scene, but inspired no hope.

"I'm heading up to my room."

"The stairs have been destroyed." Graham responded. "So that's a no go."

"I'm stuck in these clothes. And my jacket… Think it survived?"

"You can see the tailor today."

"Do you need my help right now?" She wasn't one to dodge work, but her body was lagging along with her spirits.

He shook his head. "You're not going to be much help, Emma. The fire's out – go get some sleep."

Emma was about to protest, but yawned instead and nodded. She stumbled along down the road and paused only when a limping man approached her.

"Deputy Swan." He greeted. "I'm glad to see you are uninjured. I don't think we've been formally introduced. I am Dr. Gold. I'd be more than happy to examine you for injury."

"Thanks, doc. I'm a little sore, but I can sleep it off."

"To be expected." He crowed, the slightest amount of glee in his voice. "I see you're headed for our delightful mayor's."

"Yeah. She's having me stay in the guest room for now." Emma just wanted to lie down.

"There is more to her than you may see at first." Gold offered his arm to her, and Emma hesitantly took the support he offered. "I hope you'll come to see what the rest of us in town already know."

"And what's that?"

"Regina is a determined woman. Passionate about this town and her work."

Tiredly, Emma nodded. "I can already see that."

"That passion often bleeds into the other aspects of her life." Gold advised. "She can be a valuable friend."

"Thanks." Emma let go of him as soon as she was at the gate to Regina's yard. He bid her farewell and walked away with a small spring in his step, which was quite the feat for a man so dependent on a cane.

Regina opened the door before Emma could even knock. "You look like hell."

Emma was too tired to spit an insult back. She shrugged. "Can I still borrow that bed?"

"I have prepared a bath. You will not put your filthy body on my sheets, so I must insist you bathe first."

This was nearly too much trouble, but Emma waved her hand. "Lead the way."

The water was lukewarm, but practically cold. At Emma's complaint, Regina merely shrugged and said it would have been hot if Emma had arrived earlier. Either way, Emma was not going to touch anything in the house until the layers of dirt and ash had been scrubbed away.

x-x-x

Robin led his band of ruffians in a victory dance. Willie was too grouchy to partake, sore at being left in custody for so long, but the rest were still high on the flames that had caused such destruction.

"My Lost Boys!" He cackled. "We've done it."

"You din't even kill her." Willie groused. "Kept me locked there, the bitch."

"We aren't to kill her." Robin advanced on him. "Do I have to make myself more clear?"

Willie cowered and averted his gaze. He reached and adjusted his cap. "Sorry, Rob."

"Don't ever question me again." He threatened. The rest of the boys had fallen silent during the exchange. Robin whipped around and glared at each of them in turn. "We will not be caught and hanged for murder, boys. D'you lugheads get that?"

Julia pounced on his arm. "Oh, Robbie, he didn't mean it like that! He's just stupid."

Robin shoved her roughly away. "Don't you start on me, too."

"Oh, very good, Robin." Dr. Gold clapped his hands slowly as he entered the room. "You've done well tonight."

"Don't even pretend this was your plan." It was amazing to Gold how quickly the younger man could change the trajectory of his anger. "It was all me."

"I would never imply otherwise." Gold tapped his cane on the ground. "I merely came by to deliver congratulations. Congratulations."

"Leave us." Robin ordered and was immediately obeyed. Once they were alone, he took Gold's cane and twirled it in his hands. "Why are you really here?"

"Don't run the new deputy out of town. I have uses for her and require her just where she is."

"Can't promise nothing." Robin sneered. "Me and my boys, we do what we want."

"Do not forget," Gold picked at his coat as if he was not emotionally invested in their exchange, "just who put you into the position you're in right now. You boys would still be a lot of juvenile delinquents if not for my guidance."

"Yeah, and now we don't need you."

"Oh, is that the case?" Gold bowed his head and backed away. "I apologize. I see that you have outgrown me. I will not overstay my welcome."

x-x-x

The bed made her miserable bath worth it. It felt as if she were atop the clouds, and not a mattress. She buried her face into the clean smelling linens and inhaled. This was certainly a lifestyle she'd never experienced before.

"Ms. Swan, are you decent?"

Emma sat up. Though the bath had been mildly rejuvenating, she truly did just want to sleep. Just a little while longer, she told herself. "I am."

"I doubt that." Regina commented. Her eyes traced the curves of Emma's figure – while the blonde had bathed, Regina had set about cleaning the woman's clothes and had left a pair of her own pajamas for Emma to wear to bed. The silken material certainly could make anyone look decent, Regina thought. "I've brought your clothes. They're clean now. As clean as I could get them, anyway. It appears you've never bothered with laundry before."

"I've been busy." Emma waved a hand dismissively. "Thanks."

"Everything should exceed your standards, but if you must make a further request, I will be at the town hall for the duration of the morning and afternoon. Sleep well, Ms. Swan."

Emma flopped back onto the bed and was asleep before Regina left the room.

x-x-x

The dagger was heavy in Regina's hand and her palm was clammy. At every corner, she expected a line of guards to stop her and question her, but she slipped unmolested through the castle. Her mother's room was at the top of a set of stairs and it felt like an endless climb to the top of the tallest tower.

"You've failed me."

Her mother's voice jolted her and she ducked back into a shadow. The door to her mother's suite was cracked open, and two shadows played along the ground, one pacing back and forth, the other still and unmoving.

"I did my best, my lady."

"And yet she managed to get away from her guards and nobody knows where she went."

Ah, Regina thought. Her presence had been missed at the castle. She snuck closer and peered through the crack just in time to watch her mother's hand plunge into the simpering fool's chest. His still beating heart came out with her hand and steamed in the cool air. Before the man could protest, the heart was crushed to dust and he slumped over.

"I cannot abide failure." Cora mused.

Regina tucked her knife into her waistband and knocked politely on her mother's door. "Mother?"

There was silence at first, probably her mother's surprise at the intrusion and sudden reappearance of her daughter, but then footsteps clacked towards Regina. "Oh, Regina. Thank goodness you're alright. I was so worried."

"Worried?"

"Nobody knew where you had gotten off to. There were rumors that you had been abducted."

"No, I was riding Rocinante." Regina lied smoothly. True, the horse had been with her, but she hadn't been riding him.

"Why are you here?"

"I had wanted to share the evening with you, Mother. I love you."

All at once a wave of suspicion roared up but was immediately soothed. Cora knew something was amiss, but she couldn't deny that she reveled in her daughter's admiration. She stalked to the cushion by the window and gestured for Regina to follow.

The evening was a blur for Regina. For every word she spoke, her thoughts were ever latched on the beating of her mother's heart. It would be so simple. She just needed to cut out the organ and take it away with her.

"Regina, you will listen to me."

Her head snapped up. "My apologies, Mother."

"Leopold has told me you no longer warm his bed."

Her lips twitched. "I was never a willing – I merely let him know that my participation has been retracted for the time being."

"Foolish child."

"He has been angry as of late that I will not bear him a child."

Cora smirked. "He has also grown weary of your constant negative intentions towards his daughter and her husband. You should be more careful with the recipients of your confidence, dear."

He was not the only weary one, Regina decided. She pulled the knife out quickly and arched her hand back, but the room froze. She was stuck looking at her mother's appalled face, but she could sense someone approaching her side.

"That, dearie, is certainly a messy way to go about this."

"Rumple." Regina grit out. "Go away. I'm busy."

"You saw how she dealt with her subordinate." Regina's mind flashed to the dead man still cooling near the door. "You have the power to do the same. Drop the knife, Regina. Get your hands dirty."

The knife clattered to the ground. Slowly, as if moving by some impetus not her own, her hand came level with her mother's bosom and slipped into the other woman's chest. Rumple danced excitedly behind her.

"Pull it out gently." He coached. "Don't knock the ribs."

It surprised Regina that her mother had a heart to begin with. So when Rumple handed her a flash and commanded her to crush the heart and collect the dust, she did so without a second thought. Time restarted as soon as she clenched her hand. Cora looked incredibly astounded. She reached towards her daughter, sputtered, and collapsed.

"Someone get the guards!" A voice in the hallway echoed down the stairwell. "The lady's been murdered!"

Regina tucked the flask away and searched for a hiding place, or a means of escape. The tower, however, was tall, and the guards were upon her in minutes. She was frogmarched down to the King's chambers. He barely listened to the guards describing the scene.

"Your actions against this kingdom can no longer be ignored. I cannot order your death, but I can imprison you." Leopold waved his hand and Regina was dragged down to the dungeons. She was utterly silent. They would get no pleasure from hearing her beg or cry. Such reactions were beneath her.

Soon enough, she'd have her curse – and thereafter she'd have her happiness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note**: I've begun to wonder if Regina will ever be allowed a moment of happiness in the show. Can't Henry give her a hug or something? For real.

* * *

Six

Regina sat at her desk, a mountain of papers before her and a pair of squabbling residents just beyond that. It was a petty dispute about the ownership of a sheepdog, and the validity of a contract of sale – something she cared little about. Her eyes stayed fixed on the window, her thoughts clearly elsewhere until one of the men stomped his foot and the noise drew her attention.

"You will refrain from acting like a child while in my office."

The man paled and ducked his head obediently. "My apologies, Madam Mayor."

"As to your current affairs, Mr. Wayne, you will pay the fee you agreed upon to Mr. Arthurs and keep the dog you contracted to buy, regardless of whether or not you have the sheep for it to herd. That is of no consequence to me."

"What am I supposed to do with the damn dog?"

Regina thought for a moment to chide him for his language choice in the presence of a lady, but instead sought to rid herself of the nuisance of their presence in her day completely. "What you do with an animal of yours is your business. In the future, you will no doubt be more cautious about the contracts you enter into, I hope, as I never wish to see you before me again. Is that clear?"

The two men groused at each other but reluctantly Mr. Wayne dug out a few dirty bills and threw them at the other man's chest. Arthurs was about to protest the treatment, but a silencing glare from her sent him to gathering the money and leaving her office. Once alone, she let her gaze stray once more to the window and her thoughts to her current predicament.

Regina Mills was not a pawn. She had shed that role in her life eagerly and without a backwards glance. Yet she had a sinking suspicion that despite her supposed power in this world, she was still just as she ever was: a chess piece waiting for an unseen hand to move her into position, or to sacrifice her for a bigger cause. The feeling made her uncomfortable.

Even her moving to counteract Gold's control of the events as they unfolded had the weighty feeling of someone else's choice about it. She sought to befriend the Swan woman, to avoid the savior's ability to ruin her curse – and Gold seemed almost pleased by the turn of events. Truth be told, she enjoyed the little quirks of the blonde cowgirl more than her derisive sneer would ever let on, but she worried that those feelings of good will were not truly her own.

"Madam Mayor?"

She twisted in her seat. "I'm surprised to see you awake."

Emma approached her desk and tried to maintain a cool exterior under Regina's cursory glance. "Seems that sleeping on a mattress like that for three hours was better rest than sleeping for a full eight hours anywhere else."

"I don't doubt that." Regina pulled the top sheaf from the piles of paper around her and busied herself with jotting notes down upon it. "State your business."

Emma's notion of a growing rapport between them crumbled slightly at the terse tone. "I wanted to talk about Henry."

"And it couldn't wait."

"No, it couldn't." Emma grabbed the paper and jerked it out of Regina's hands. "I may not think you beat the kid anymore, but you've got to do something about his notions."

"I fail to see how you have any say over what my son has notions about."

"I like the kid, I do." Emma's hand strayed unconsciously to her stomach. Regina narrowed her eyes, wondering what the motion was betraying about Emma. "But it can't be healthy for him to live so seriously in a fantasy world."

"It is merely a phase."

"He came home for lunch today." Emma leaned closer to Regina. "Told me that I should search your house for clues because I might not get a better opportunity."

"That's ridiculous." Regina spat back. She would never leave anything from her previous life easily accessible in her home. "My relationship with my son is none of your business."

"I'm not trying to intrude, ma'am, but I worry that—"

"You have no right to worry about anything with regards to my son or his thoughts. Now, you will vacate my office so that I can resume my work."

"But—"

"No." Regina stood, bracing her palms against the smooth wood of her desk. "Enough. Is it not enough that I've given you a space to sleep? Must you constantly try to attack those that help you? Go and do the job I'm paying you to do."

Emma hedged a moment, wanting to pursue the matter, but she understood from the dangerous glint in Regina's eyes that she'd get nothing more from the Mayor at that time. "Are we still meeting later for your shooting lesson?"

"Provided that you are up for it." Regina sat down once more and resumed her work.

Emma waved a hand as a sort of sarcastic good bye, and was unsurprised when Regina merely ignored her. She left without another word.

x-x-x

"We just need to figure out where they're hiding."

"I didn't figure this to be a large town." Emma leaned over Graham's shoulder and peered at the rough map he'd sketched out. "Why not do a search of every building?"

"We'd need the mayor's support for that, and she won't give it."

"Do you have any leads?"

"Just that they're not here." Graham gestured to the ruined sheriff's station. "We can also cross a number of other locations off. Town hall, the mayor's house, the morgue, the school…"

"The general store, too." Emma added. The place was packed full of goods, and it didn't appear that there was any room for a gang of hiding hooligans. "Have you gone out to the ranches in the area?"

"Yeah." Graham scratched the back of his neck. "All of 'em were forthcoming and let me do a search. Nothing out there but cattle, horses, and scruffy, but honest, men."

"They're somewhere in town, hm?" Emma mused. Her finger trailed along the paper. "Those places you listed before as being clear – you've searched them already?"

"No, but they're places that no sane man would hide."

"I've been in the school. I doubt those boys would come anywhere near learning. And I can tell you from being in the mayor's guestroom that they aren't there. But how's about we go search the morgue? If you think nobody would be there, then it's probably a great hide out."

"Dr. Gold's the only one with a key. We'll have to go see him."

"Then let's get on it." Emma reached for a dusty brown jacket hanging on the remnants of a wall. Her heart clenched a moment in mourning for her so-far-undiscovered red jacket before she pulled the brown one on and set off down the street with Graham beside her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Sheriff?" Gold's eyes darted to Emma and he added, "And Deputy?"

Upon entering the doctor's place of business, Emma had promptly leaned up against the wall while Graham approached the man's desk. While there was an urge within the blonde woman to take control of the situation, she had to remind herself that she was Graham's subordinate and he had things well in hand.

"We need your key to the morgue."

"Why would you need that? You know as well as I that there haven't been any deaths lately. All you'll find in there is dust and perhaps some dried blood."

"Give us the key." Graham repeated. "We're just trying to be thorough, Dr. Gold. That's all."

"Searching for the Lost Boys, are we?"

Emma didn't like the mischievous look in Gold's eye, but she held her tongue and let Graham continue.

"Yes, actually we are. Have to start the search somewhere."

"What if I told you I could help you find them?"

"You know where they are?"

Gold leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "I didn't say that. I said I could help you find them. Tut, tut. You should listen more carefully, Sheriff."

"So?" Emma could hold herself back no longer. "Get to it. Help us."

"I said I could." Gold repeated again, his voice firm, all signs of good nature removed from his mien. "But not that I would."

"Why not?"

"Dear girl, I don't simply jump into action for nothing. There's no… provocation, shall we say – or compensation."

"What do you want?"

Gold smirked, finally hearing the words he was after. "Just a favor."

"Done." Graham reached out to shake Gold's hand, but frowned as Gold pushed the offending limb away.

"Not from you, Sheriff. From her."

Emma couldn't keep the disdain from her face. She liked being in no man's debt, no matter how brief the stint. "What sort of favor?"

"True or false, dearie: You gave birth to a son ten years ago." He waited, watching as her skin paled.

"Graham, would you mind stepping outside?" Emma gave the sheriff a moment to comply, ignoring his worried look and waving away his stuttered concerns. Once alone with the doctor, she folded her arms over her chest and strutted towards him. "What does that have to do with…"

"That boy was Henry."

"What?"

"You're not deaf." Gold smirked, enjoying the shock that played out on her face. "And don't bother asking me how I know – a man such as myself has his ways."

"Pretending for a moment that's true, what does that have to do with a favor?" Emma flinched at her next thought. "You can't possibly want me to take him away from the mayor."

"Oh, no such thing. No, it is simply to illustrate that this town is more your home than you may have thought. It needs you, Deputy. So the favor I want from you is for you to stick around."

"Stick around." Emma repeated.

Before she could voice her questions, Gold cut back in. "Yes, as in stay here indefinitely."

"I have a life. A home back in Boston."

"A hovel, I'm sure, that does nothing but house your meager belongings. What do you have to lose?"

"I won't stay indefinitely, no matter what you imply about that kid I abandoned." Emma shook her head slowly. "But I will stay for three months."

The grin that split his face would have made a trouble-making three year old proud. "I suppose that is all I can hope for. Fine. Get the sheriff. Let us go sniff out those boys."

x-x-x

Finally unable to take her solitary thoughts anymore, Regina decided on a course of action. She may not know exactly what was going on in Storybrooke, despite it being the town of her design, but she could most certainly throw a wrench into machinations. It was a welcome respite when Henry begrudgingly entered her domain at the end of his school day.

"Henry, we need to talk."

He stared at her with such a blank face that she was almost thrown off balance. She was prepared to see hatred, and hoped to see love – but complete apathy was new. She left her desk and crossed to him, crouching down on his level to look into his eyes.

"Is everything okay?"

"No, and it's all because of you."

"That is precisely what I want to talk to you about." She felt a little crazy, going to her ten year old son for advice. A flutter of confusion crossed his face. "Henry, I believe you. You're right, about all this."

"I – I am? You cursed everyone?" His tone was excited at first, but quickly soured. "You cursed everyone."

"Don't take that tone with me, young man. I'm both your mother and the queen, so you should show some respect."

"That makes me a prince, then." His brain whirled along, easily accepting what he'd already known to be true. "And princes don't have to listen to evil queens."

"As long as you are my son, you will listen to me." He fought her grip as she led him to sit behind her desk. Hard news was easier to deal with while sitting, or so she'd been told. "That book you have doesn't tell you everything, does it?"

"What do you mean? I know all about the curse. I have theories, too, about who's who…"

"That's not relevant right now, Henry. Listen. I…" She swallowed hard. Asking for assistance was not something that came easily to her – and she had the expectation that no help would be available to her. "I need you to tell me what you know about the curse."

"Why should I help you?"

"I'm your mother. I love you."

"You don't love anyone. You're the evil queen."

"The two are not inclusive." She snapped. Immediately she cringed and reached out to him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"No you shouldn't." He seemed about to close off to her, so she took his left hand into her gentle grasp and kissed it. The gesture softened his features. "Will you uncast it?"

"Break the curse?" She grit her teeth. "That would land me back in Snow White's prison Henry. I'd die there. Is it really so miserable here?"

"You have to." He insisted. "Or I won't help you."

"I would, Henry, but I honestly don't know how." The lie was small and unobtrusive. It was true, she didn't know how to actively end the curse – but if she was patient and let all the leaves die without achieving her true happiness… "But maybe if we talk about it, we can figure something out. I just want what's best for you."

He settled deeper into the chair. "Okay, but promise me."

"I promise, Henry, that I will do what's best for you."

x-x-x

Gold pointed out a small house, rather ramshackle in nature. "My sources say you'll find them camped out in there."

"You'll be joining us, right?" Emma gripped his elbow tightly.

"Ah, ah." He backed away, jerking his limb from her grip. "I found where they are. Our deal has been concluded, at least on my end."

"Let him go." Graham muttered. "You and I will be fine. This has to stop here. You were almost killed. We can't let this escalate any further."

She nodded, drawing her eyes off of Gold and settling them on the front door. "You're right."

As Graham drew his pistol, she drew her own and aimed it at the door. Together they advanced slowly.

x-x-x

Robin pulled Julia to him and kissed her soundly. Several of the boys were taking midday naps and the ones that were awake lounged around him. It was invigorating, he found, to have people so pliant and willing to be under his control. All of them would do anything he asked the moment he asked it of them.

"It won't be long." He confided in Julia's ear. "This town will be ours."

"I can't wait."

He could have done without her excited squeal. "You have to for now."

"What's the next step?"

"First we wait to see if that new deputy leaves town. We can take that wimpy sheriff on our own, but we don't need fresh blood meddling in our affairs."

"You're just worried because she wasn't scared of you."

"Shut it." He backhanded her, though not as harshly as he could have. It wouldn't do to mar her face. Her mouth clacked shut audibly. "I just don't want to deal with so many variables, especially now that she has an in with the mayor."

"Someone's outside." One of the boys sitting near a window commented. "Looks like this hiding place wasn't as good as you thought, Robbie."

Robin jumped to his feet. "No matter. Who needs plans, when the flies just walk right into your grasp?"

Nobody seemed willing to comment on his jumbled metaphor. He shoved Julia away and took a gun into his hand. His boys trailed behind him as he went to the door to meet the inevitable confrontation.

x-x-x

Graham was wholly unprepared for the front door to burst open in front of him. He staggered backwards, knocking Emma back as well. Robin swaggered out and crowed loudly, rousing his den of misfits.

"You come here to turn in your badges?"

"Funny." The sun glinted off of Graham's weapon. "Step away from the building. We don't want bloodshed."

"See, the thing is… we do." Robin twirled his gun around his forefinger. "But we understand that you want to minimize the consequences. So here, I'll tell you what. Let's you and I have a shoot out, huh? No interference."

Graham weighed his options. Emma looked up into the windows of the house and saw the glinting eyes of several of the boys who hadn't come outside with Robin. She doubted very much that there would be no interference, but she wasn't able to voice her opinion before Graham spoke.

"Fine. No interference."

Robin strutted out into the street and stood a dozen or so yards from his opponent. Emma gripped Graham's arm for solidarity and then stepped out of the way. Each man put his gun in its holster and the two stood silently staring each other down, daring the other to make the first move. After a minute, Robin's hand twitched towards his gun and both drew as quickly as they could.

Graham's shot went wide as Robin threw himself to the side and fired. The bullet whistled through the air and hit Graham square in the chest. Emma's hand mechanically aimed her pistol at Robin and fired. Unprepared for the deputy to act in such a fashion, Robin wasn't quite able to get out of the way in time. Emma's bullet pierced him just beside his heart. At Emma's action, a sea of wild bullets flew in her direction.


	7. Chapter 7

**Note**: I rewrote this nearly ten times before I was satisfied, so my apologies for the delay. There was just something not-right, but I think I've fixed it. Thanks for everyone who's bearing with my terrible schedule. I appreciate it.

* * *

Seven

Of the sea of bullets, only one touched her. It slammed into her left thigh. Her hand dropped to the fresh wound as an angry hiss passed her lips. Moving quickly to save her life, Emma ran for the alleyway between two buildings and pressed herself to the wall. The running exacerbated the wound on her leg and her blood oozed against her trousers.

"Shit." She ripped the bottom of her shirt into a thin strip which she wrapped tightly around her thigh to try and stop the blood loss. It hurt, but she pushed the pain from her mind. She cocked the barrel of her gun open. Five bullets remained, and there were six in her pocket. Enough to stop the onslaught, if she was careful with her shots.

The barrel snapped shut. She pawed the blood off her hand and steadied her grip on the six-shooter. From the angle of the bullets flying by the alleyway, she determined where it would be best to aim. She edged towards the street and went down on one knee. Whipping around the corner, she took stock of the five boys who remained on the porch, and the glint of guns in the windows. She aimed quickly and fired off two shots. The first hit a window, shattering glass and startling the boys, the second embedded into one of the boy's shoulder. He squalled and fell to the ground.

Before she could duck back to safety, an errant bullet grazed her ear. A fresh rush of blood dripped down her neck and stained her blonde hair. The darkness of the alley was quite welcome.

"Drop your weapons!"

The only response to her hollered demands was a fresh volley of bullets. Her head ringing, she tried to think clearly in light of the circumstances. She had nine bullets remaining, but she didn't know if she could continue bouncing out to pick them off one by one.

"You have one more chance." She tried again. "If you drop your weapons now, we'll work something out."

This time the response was a loud explosion and a wave of heat. She edged back around the corner as one of the boys ran past, the back of his shirt up in flames. Their hiding place was engulfed in flames. Several young men dangled from the windows and fell the storey to the ground. She could only imagine the pain of impact without townspeople to catch them. Though she wanted to walk away and take care of her wounds, the star on her hip urged her towards the inferno.

"My leg!"

She grabbed the screamer and dragged him away from the flames, feeling ill at the sight of his bone protruding from his skin. The other jumpers were unconscious, and much harder to drag, but she managed to get one away without issue. The other's leg had caught fire before her rescue could arrive.

"I'm glad you're not awake for this."

Once clear of the burning house, she pulled her jacket off and beat the flame from the cuff of his trousers. By this point, other people had arrived with buckets and water and she took her leave as soon as the burning was under control and she was sure no other building would go down.

"Deputy Swan, allow me to look at your wounds."

Emma found herself face to face with Dr. Gold. The doctor's words drew her attention to the deep ache in her thigh. Oh, she thought, that. Though she just wanted to crawl into a dark place and take care of her wounds on her own, she saw the value in having a medical professional remove the bullet and sew her shut.

"Alright." She grunted."Just get it out of my thigh and stop the bleeding."

"I can do that." He promised as he guided her back to his office. It was near, thankfully, as each step made the pain more acute. "Please remove your pants, Deputy."

He turned to tend to his supplies and she made a face at his back.

"Tut, tut, dearie. Those faces won't extract a bullet."

She blanked her face and peeled her trousers down, easing the rough material past the wound. Once she was past that tender area, it was simple enough to kick them off and to the side. She took a seat on Gold's desk. Gold turned again and waved the sterile forceps by her nose.

"Won't be but a moment. But it will hurt."

She ignored the pleased glint in his eyes and shrugged. "Got a spot of whiskey?"

"Afraid not."

Emma patted down her clothing and found that her silver flask was missing. She wiped at her forehead and nodded. "Before you start, I gotta know – where did you go? You just disappeared before Graham and that kid even did their shoot out."

He bent over her leg. She nearly squalled at the sudden intrusion of the forceps. She tensed her jaw and gripped the edge of the desk to keep from crying out.

"A smart man avoids conflict. I would never stand too close to wildly flying bullets." Gold responded as he rooted around. Emma closed her eyes and fought to listen to him speak. There was a soft clatter as the removed bullet hit a metal tray. "You could learn from my example, Deputy."

"It needed to be done." She panted.

"Perhaps." She could hear him shuffling about. A moment later there was a prick of pain and she knew the suturing had started.

"Lucky thing, that fire."

"Yes." Gold murmured agreeable. "Lucky indeed."

His tone prompted Emma to crack an eye open. She noted the deft way his fingers guided the needle through her flesh. "Did you have something to do with it?"

"Of course not. I was simply extrapolating that they still had the flammable materials from burning down the Sheriff's station. It must have caught fire." He soothed. He snipped the end of the catgut and straightened. He swabbed a hunk of cotton with a cleanser and wiped around the stitching. Once it was clean to his satisfaction, he wrapped a strip of gauze around her thigh. "There we go, Deputy. Shall I look at your ear?"

"No." She rescued her trousers from the floor and gingerly pulled them back on. His treatment left her aching, but the pain was abating. "But thanks."

"My pleasure."

x-x-x

"You look worse than usual." Regina commented, her calm voice and demeanor belying the worry she felt quiver in her stomach upon seeing the battered deputy on her porch. "I suppose you'll need another bath."

"Do you have anything I can clean my head up with?"

Regina had been purposely avoided looking at the bloody mess on the side of Emma's head. She gestured for the blonde to follow her. "Come along."

Emma trailed the regal woman deeper into the house. They came to a halt in kitchen and Regina gestured for Emma to take a seat at the table. Despite Emma's thought that Regina would be rough – at the very least, rougher than the doctor's unkind touch – Regina's touch was dainty and delicate.

"What happened?"

As Emma relayed the events of the day, Regina maintained a straight face. At the news of Graham's death, however, her hand faltered.

"Did you know him well?"

"Ms. Swan, this is a small town in the middle of nowhere. Everyone knows everyone else quite well." Regina spoke past the lump in her throat. "But the Sheriff was a great help in difficult times."

"I'm sorry." Emma winced slightly. "I didn't know him well, but he was kind to me when he didn't have to be."

"Yes, well, that was the Sheriff for you." Regina locked away. Her work on Emma's ear was complete, as there was nothing she could do about the bloody hair. "All you need now is to wash your hair out."

"Thanks for the help."

"I couldn't have you bleeding in my house. You might have gotten something dirty. Besides, this town can't be without law enforcement."

"Right."

"There's a trough outside in which you can clean yourself. I will bring you a towel momentarily."

"Alright." Emma reached up and touched the bandaging on her head. "And thanks, Regina."

She should, Regina knew, berate Ms. Swan for the forward use of her first name – instead she gave the blonde a terse smile that could have been mistaken for a grimace. "You are quite welcome."

x-x-x

This was getting out of hand. Regina stared into the mirror in her bedroom and gripped the edge of her dresser. She really should have corrected the abominable blonde woman. There was no good that would come from allowing herself any semblance of feelings for anyone but Henry. This blasted growing fondness for the deputy was…

Regina's thoughts derailed as she was unable to find the right word to describe her mutating affections. The woman staring back at her from the mirror looked appropriately perturbed. She released her grip on the dresser and ran her fingers through her hair. It was a vain attempt at resettling herself.

She placed a politician's smile onto her lips. She could keep the blonde deputy at an emotional distance, even while trying to keep her under thumb. It was fully in her control.

x-x-x

Henry kicked his feet and scuffed the floor. Regina bit back her scolding and instead schooled her face into what she thought looked like a gentle smile.

"What's wrong, Henry?" She set her fork down on the edge of her plate. "I made your favorite."

"I'm almost eleven, mom. I know a bribe when I see one."

There were times when Regina loved that Henry had adopted some of her mannerisms, such as her refusal to play the games of others. At this time, however, she just wished he'd make it easier on her and just accept her olive branch.

"I just want things to be normal between us." She soothed smoothly.

He fiddled with his silverware. "How can things be normal? You're evil."

There was no good way to respond to that, so she grit her teeth and smiled onward. "I'm trying to be what you need me to be."

"Were you the one who got Graham killed? Did you hurt Emma because she's the Savior?"

Emma chose that moment to lumber into the dining room, her head neatly bandaged and her smile crooked. "Still going on about that, kid?"

"It's true. My mom-"

"Is glad you're feeling better, Ms. Swan." Regina cut in. "Please, join us for dinner?"

Henry's jaw clicked shut audibly. Emma glanced at him and gingerly took a seat at the table. Regina stood and grabbed an extra plate from a low cabinet, and set clean silverware by Emma's hands. Their hands touched momentarily and Emma averted her eyes, Gold's advice about Regina's passions echoing in her ears.

"Thank you."

"My mom told me you got hurt."

"Yeah, but I'm okay, kid."

"You look pretty bad."

She caught his gaze and held it. "You should see the other guys, because lemme tell you..."

"Ms. Swan." Regina stopped her before she could continue. "May I remind you that my son is ten and…"

"I wasn't going to say anything bad." Emma countered. She backed down from the argument however, remembering the tenderness of Regina's touch on her ear. "But I apologize. Henry, violence is bad. Never do it."

He laughed. Any tension remaining in the room slowly dissipated. "Okay, sure."

"How are you feeling?" Regina masked her interest with a flat tone. Inwardly she congratulated herself for not allowing some sort of mawkish concern to enter her voice.

"Much better now, thanks. I'll probably need to sleep it off tonight, but I'll be right as rain in the morning."

"Best that you didn't track your dirt and blood in here more than you had to."

"I coulda fixed my leg myself, but I guess I'm glad it won't get infected." Emma continued as if Regina hadn't spoken.

"What did he want in return?"

"Nothing."

Regina's brow quirked. "I suppose that's for the best. It never bodes well to owe that man anything." She noted the twitch of Emma's lips. "Don't tell me you owe him something."

"It's nothing."

"What, dare I ask, did you promise him?"

"I told him I'd stick around here." Emma shoveled a forkful of food into her mouth to keep herself from getting into trouble. She wasn't sure why, but her gut told her this was going to be a touchy subject.

"That's great!" Henry cried at the same time Regina stood abruptly.

"Henry please finish your meal and take your dishes to the kitchen."

"Is everything okay?" Emma stood as well, but Regina disappeared into the hallway.

"Don't worry about her." Henry scoffed.

"She's your mom, kid."

"Yeah. I guess."

"So eat your dinner, huh?" He grunted and began eating in earnest. She watched him quietly, wondering if it was even possible that he was the offspring she'd abandoned all those years ago. It was absurd. That kid was probably dead. "You should give her a break."

"The curse is real, Emma, and she's the Evil Queen." Henry scooped the last of the potatoes from his plate and swallowed them in one big gulp. "The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can go back to the Enchanted Forest."

"You need to grow up kid and leave the fantasies behind. This is where you live. If you don't like it here, you still have to stick it out until you're old enough to do your own thing. Then you can go wherever you want. But for now, you do what your mom tells you."

Henry stood, a mirror image of his mother minutes before. "She knows I'm right. She told me so." And with that he walked the same path as Regina out to the hall and Emma found herself alone.

x-x-x

"Where are we going to put them?" Emma stared at the four living Lost Boys, all of whom were bedraggled, dirty and shivering in the early morning sunlight. They stared at her with emotions ranging from hateful to apologetic.

"Me and the boys'll work as fast as we can."

She glanced at the group of men bearing lumber, hammers, and grim expressions. "Thanks, Leroy. But until then…"

As the seven men looked at each other and shrugged, another man approached. He paused before Emma, took his hat off, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. When the hat was replaced, he gave Emma an easy smile.

"I can take them."

"And you are?" Her words were suspicious, but her tone well-meaning. This man was like the school teacher in some way, and set her at ease.

"David Nolan. My wife and I run a ranch just a bit outside of town."

She liked the firm grip of his hand as they shook in greeting. "And you can take them?"

"One of my hands had an accident not too long ago. Knocked him right out and I don't believe he's coming back. I'm short-staffed as it is. Let me take them. I can keep them in line and they can put in some hard labor as punishment."

Emma wished, not for the first time, that Graham was around. She had stepped into his shoes as Sheriff, but had no idea what she was doing. David turned while she thought things through and stared at the boys, his hands on his hips.

"I'd say let 'em do it." Leroy commented. He gestured for his men to gather their supplies. "We'll work as fast as we can. No promises, but maybe we'll have it a new station for you in a week or so. 'Til then, better that than letting them loose, or tying up 'em to a hitching post."

Emma flushed, that exact notion having been her original plan. "I suppose that's true enough. Will you need someone to help you keep an eye on them?"

David chuckled. "No, I'm a fair shot and there's nowhere much to run out there. But if you want to come by and check in on them, I won't say no. I'll keep 'em locked in the barn over night, and the wife'll make sure they're fed. No need to worry about our set up, Sheriff."

"I wasn't." She nodded slowly and, for lack of a better option, agreed to his plan. "They're all yours, Mr. Nolan."

x-x-x

Henry found his mother in her study, a tumbler of amber liquid clenched tightly between her fingers. He approached slowly, his book of fairy tales trapped under one arm. Something had set her off at dinner the night before, he knew that much. But he was curious as to what.

"Mom?"

Her eyes went from fuzzy and unfocused to razor sharp in an instant, and then subsequently softened again when she saw her son standing before her. "Yes, Henry?"

"Why did you get angry last night?"

"I wasn't angry, Henry. I…" She trailed off, unsure of what she was.

"Was it because Emma's going to break your curse?"

"It was more of a spell, not a curse." She responded idly. "But no, that's not it at all."

"You can talk to me." Henry tugged her over to the loveseat and made her sit next to him. "I'm the only one that knows everything, right?"

"I suppose so."

"So why not talk to me?"

Because, she thought, you'll only use it against me someday. But the thought died before it even approached her lips, as she knew it would only alienate her son further. Instead she acquiesced. "Do you know why Dr. Gold wants Emma to stay here?"

"To break the curse."

"Why would he want to break the curse?"

"His son is in this world somewhere and he can't leave until the curse is broken. So he wants Emma to stay so she'll break the curse and then he can go and find Baelfire."

"I didn't know he had a son."

"It's all in the book."

"Tell me the story?" Regina leaned back against the couch and stared up towards the ceiling. There was something Dr. Gold was hiding, and she was going to figure it out before he had the upperhand.


End file.
